Gardening

I live on the Columbia River Plateau – an area of ​​approximately 100,000 square miles of shrubby steppe that stretches from the Cascade Mountains to the Rocky Mountains. People think the Pacific Northwest is lush and green with a marine climate, but this is only the narrow strip that crosses …

Some gardeners like it hot. I have friends who live more inland than me and love their summer weather of 90 degrees more. They certainly grow better and more tomatoes than those of the people on the coast, but that’s just a consideration. While some like it hot, I don’t. …

By Tonya Barnett | July 11, 2020 For many homeowners, a lush green lawn is the pinnacle of creating captivating charm. A well-kept lawn perfectly frames the house and is a point of pride. However, the process of creating and manicure these implants can be both costly and laborious. With …

White Frangipani (Plumeria alba) is a deciduous plumeria tree that is native to tropical areas and grows to about 15 to 25 feet. Like other plumerias, its flowers are famously fragrant and beautiful, and it blooms from early summer into fall. White frangipani’s flowers have a yellow center and five …

Monkshood Plants: This herbaceous perennial flower fills lots of garden requirements, and it is one of the few nearly true blue flowers. Though it’s native to mountainous regions, it’s fairly heat-tolerant. Monkshood is a tall plant that flowers late in the summer and handles partial shade very well. It gets …

Coral bells (Heuchera) is a traditional foliage plant with many newer varieties available. Heuchera plants form round mounds with a woody rootstock or crown at their base. Small bell-shaped flowers on tall stems attract hummingbirds and make nice cut flowers. Their leaves are rounded, lobed, hairy, and evergreen—even when covered …

By Mary Ellen Ellis | July 10, 2020 Drought conditions can really put your garden to the test. Whether it’s an unusual period of dry weather or repeated cycles of insufficient rain typical of your area, drought is a battle that all gardeners face at some point. If your local …

Autumn Blaze maple trees boast both beautiful fall foliage and a shapely form. The branching pattern is dense and ascending, and they sport a rounded to oval crown. Maturity comes quickly: They can grow as fast as 3 feet per year under the right conditions. They come into their own in …

Creeping phlox (Phlox subulata) is a familiar spring-blooming creeping plant that is frequently seen in rock gardens, growing from crevices in stone walls, or planted as a flowering ground cover. Surely the best feature of creeping phlox is its flower production. The simple blooms are not only pretty, they’re also remarkably …